It's a Dog's Life
by Cracker Jack
Summary: Beast Boy finds a stray dog at the park and takes him in. Is there more to this mutt than meets the eye? But Beast Boy's got more on his mind than a dog... pairings: BBRAE, ROBSTAR. pwease R&R. CHAPTER FOUR IS HERE! I'M BACK!
1. Bored

**My first Teen Titans fic. **

**Hooray for me! **

**BB x Rae, as it shall always be!**

**With hints of Rob x Star, of course!**

**Oh, and for the record- the dog in this story is based on a character in Tamora Peirce's "Protector of the Small" books,along withmy aunt's dog, Jangles, who I think is freakishly smart.**

**Okay, folks**

**This is gonna be a good length fic, at least ten chappies, I hope.**

**Now**

**LET'S GET DIS PARTY STARTED!**

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"Bored. Adjective. Definition: Wearingly dull, repetitive, or tedious. Synonyms: unpleasant, tired, weary," Beast Boy recited from memory, chomping on his day-old piece of now-flavorless gum. "Bored…that rhymes with…hoard, lord, cord, gourd, and pord…wait, I'm not even sure if 'pord' is a real word," he sighed. "It sounds like something Starfire would say. She'd be all like, 'Beast Boy, you are such a pord-nac!' Hmm. I'll have to ask her about that…" He rolled onto his back and spat his gum into the air, catching it moments later with accuracy gained from practice. His eyes flicked to the clock. 4:30 AM.

He had officially been lying on his back on the floor of his room for two and a half hours _exactly_. His room was less cluttered that usual. Raven had been angry at him the other day, and chased him into his room; her anger caused quite a few items in his room to explode, and Cyborg had helped him rid his room of the charred remains.

"Okay," he said quietly to him self, pulling the gum out of his mouth and throwing it directly upward so it stuck to the ceiling. "I'll make up a song to pass the time…" And so he began to make up a song off the top of his head and sing it quietly.

**(a/n: to the tune of: "Baa, Baa Black Sheep.")**

"Beast Boy, Beast Boy, have you any gum?

Yes sir, yes sir, I have some.

One's on the ceiling, one's on the wall

One's for Raven, who won't return my calls

Beast Boy, Beast Boy, have you any gum?

Yes sir, yes sir, I have some."

He chuckled to himself as he finished the song, and nearly died of a heart attack when a voice entered his ears that belonged to none other that Raven.

"What was that about you trying to poison me with the gum stuck to your wall because I won't call you?" She asked in her usual monotone, her tired eyes flashing.

"Um…" Beast Boy decided that their was only one way out of this, and answering her question wasn't what he was going for. "Your cloak is looking especially, um, cloak-y on this fine, fine, morning."

"Heh. Nice try. What time is it? My clock's batteries died."

He glanced at the clock and announced in a British accent while carefully standing up, "Time for tea, my good lady! Come, come, now! We shall- hey! What are you-? Put me down! C'mon Rae- I'm serious-"

"So am I," She drawled. Raven had simply lifted up 'The Annoyance' as she liked him called, and held him in the air while she looked at the clock on the cluttered floor that his head had been blocking seconds earlier. 4:32 AM.

She nonchalantly let him fall to the floor with a small "thump" and stepped out of the room.

"Rae, wait up! Where are you going?" Beast Boy asked, desperately scrabbling to his feet to follow her.

"Tea, then bed," she answered dully.

"Um, can I come?" When Raven shot Beast Boy a warning glare, he realized what he had said. "I mean, can I, uh, come to get tea with you!"

She sighed. "Must you?"

Beast Boy proudly puffed out his chest. "Yes."

"Fine."

"_Yes!_" Beast Boy whispered loudly. "_Go Beast Boy, go Beast Boy, it's ya birthday-_"

"Do you mind?" Raven snapped. _She's been a little edgy lately, _Beast Boy thought with an inward sigh. _Wonder why…_

"Maybe I'm a little edgy because you won't leave me alone," Raven said crossly as she stepped into the kitchen and sauntered over to the cabinet where she kept her tea.

"I uh…sorry, Rae. I'm not trying to bother you," Beast Boy said. He could feel his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

"Then what are you trying to do?" Raven asked coolly as she put water on the stove to boil.

_Spend time with you, _Beast Boy thought, _But I can't say that to Raven- she'll hate me!_ It only took him a second to realize his mistake: Raven could read his mind, and knowing his luck, she had.

"Whoa, Rae, I didn't mean-" The tea pot whistled right then, and Beast Boy let out a grateful sigh.

As Raven took the tea pot off the stove, she drew her hood over her head. Beast Boy immediately assumed she did it because she was about to hurt him fro thinking what he had, and quickly stuttered, "I'm uh…going…now…on a walk…BYE!" he rushed out of the kitchen, into the elevator, out of the elevator, and through the front doors to freedom.

He quickly changed into a sparrow, and flew off the island and away from Titan's Tower. _Maybe I'll go to the dog park_, he thought glumly._ Anything beats staying here getting pounded into dust by the girl I like._

Beast Boy flew over Main street and toward the park, where he went occasionally during the day to get away from things. Sometimes he would morph into a dog to get attention or to play with the little kids, but surprisingly, some people had a strong disliking for green dogs; go figure.

He glided to a halt, and landed noiselessly on the ground. He changed back into his human form and gazed up at the fading stars. Just then a near-by bush rustled.

"H-hello?" Beast Boy called meekly.

The bush rustled again.

"I-I'm in the Teen Titans, so don't mess with me-"

Suddenly, a brown-and whit-blur flew out of the bush and onto his chest, licking him madly.

"Hey, quit it! That tickles!" Beast Boy laughed as he picked up the furry mass of slobber. Upon closer inspection, Beast Boy decided it was a dog. A dog that had been very poorly cared for.

It was white all over except for his ears and legs. The poor animal was dangerously underweight. He had small yet bright black eyes and an arched snout. His tail was crooked in two places where it had probably broken and not healed properly; one of his ears had a large bite taken out of it, which was probably the result of a fight he had with another dog.

All in all, the dog was a complete mess.

Beast Boy, being the animal-lover that he was, couldn't resist the stray.

"Hey fella!" He said, rubbing the dog's belly, "You've got no home, huh? I think I'm gonna take you with me!"

The dog licked Beast Boy's hand, as though it were some kind of doggy blessing.

Beast Boy picked the dog up (it was extremely light) and set it down on its feet. "Don't move," Beast Boy warned. The dog cocked its head, as though it understood. Beast Boy quickly changed into a pterodactyl, and scooped the mutt up in his claws. He flew back to the tower without a doubtful thought in his head; he knew his team would the dog…wouldn't they?

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**Ah, there's chappie one. Nice, isn't it? A good start to a hopefully nice story.**

**PLEASE review. If you don't, I'll assume you don't like it, and not write more.**

**Next chappie will be up in a few days.**

**Flames are okay.**

**Wubb,**

**Jack**


	2. Bounce

**Hey guys! I feel like writing more.**

**So I think I will.**

**Oh, and for a special treat, I've got the Teen Titans here in the office. Hey guys!**

**Teen Titans: Hey!**

**Who wants to do the disclaimer? Anyone? Anyone?**

**Beast Boy: OH! I DO!**

**Okay, BB. You know what to say?**

**Beast Boy: …no.**

**Raven: Jack doesn't own anything.**

**Beast Boy: Hey, I was gonna do it!**

**Cyborg: Yeah, but you weren't gonna do it right!**

**Robin: Let's move on, shall we?**

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Raven yawned and blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes. It was about five AM now, and Beast Boy had yet to return from his "Walk." She sighed as she slid her bookmark between the pages and carefully shut the book. She eased into a sitting position (she had been lying down) and picked up her tea off the table. She sat there for a moment, holding the cup with both of her hands, staring at the tea as it swirled around in its cup. When she finally decided to take a sip, she almost spat it up again when a very excited Beast Boy rushed out of the elevator yelling, "GUYS, GUYS! LOOK! I GOT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING! IT'S SO COOL! C'MON, GUYS!"

Raven reached out with her powers to get an idea of what he was thinking, but only got a weird beeping noise. _So he really doesn't think when he's crazy like this, _she thought, amused.

Robin raced into the room, Starfire close behind. "Beast boy, what is it? What going on?"

"Yes, friend Beast Boy! What is it that requires such loudness?" Starfire asked amiably from next to Robin.

Beast Boy stood with his back to his friends. They all knew he was holding something, but they couldn't see what, exactly…

"Prepare yourselves," Beast Boy said in his best announcer-voice. "For the all powerful, the invincible, the super cool, the guy who gets all the girls, the-"

_This is getting old_, Raven thought irritably. "Just show us what it is already," she said harshly.

"Wait, I'm not done," Beast Boy insisted, then continued: "The fantastic, the handsome-"

Raven sighed as she picked Beast Boy up with her powers and spun him around. The entire team gasped.

In Beast Boy's arms was what had to be the ugliest thing Raven had ever seen. Ever. "What the hell is that thing?"

Robin stood there, eyes wide, jaw hanging open. "I think it's a _dog_…"

"Yeah, isn't he the greatest? His name is Bounce!" Beast Boy said happily.

"You _named _it?" Raven said, not believing what she had heard.

"Yes. And I…uh…I told him that he could stay. I hope you guys don't-"

"You WHAT?" Raven and Robin shouted together as Starfire raced over to Beast Boy and scooped up the dog in her arms.

"Hello, friend Bounce! Welcome!" She chirped, giving him one of her death hugs.

Bounce whined. He'd had just about enough of this hugging business. He quickly wiggled out of Starfire's grasp (an incredible feat for such a small dog) and trotted over to Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy, I've told you once, I've told you a _thousand times! _NO PETS IN THE TOWER!"

"Aw, c'mon Rob! He needs a place to stay-"

"Then we'll dump him at an animal shelter."

"Raven, no! He won't like it there! Please can't we keep him?"

"Absolutely not."

"Dogs are _most_ pleasant! We must keep it!"

They all turned to look at Starfire, just as Cyborg entered the room. When he spotted Bounce, he nearly bounced two feet in the air himself from shock, and turned his hand into his cannon.

"STAND BACK, YA'LL! THERE'S A MUTANT TRYIN' TO ATTACK YA!" He yelled.

"He's no mutant!" Beast Boy insisted, picking Bounce up. "He's a dog, and a very handsome and charming one at that."

Cyborg looked from Beast Boy, to the dog, to Beast Boy again, and fell to the floor laughing. "I can't believe that- that- _thing- _is a dog!" he managed to say between laughs.

Beast Boy glared at him then turned back to Robin. "Please? He's got no place else to go! And look!" he raised Bounce to his cheek and received a playful lick. "We bonded!"

"Well…" Robin's voice trailed off as he stepped over to Beast Boy and scratched the dog's good ear. "I guess he can stay for a while-"

"YES!" Beast Boy and Starfire yelled simultaneously.

"Hooray! Friend Bounce is going to be staying with us!"

"Booya! I always wanted a dog!" Cyborg said, getting up.

"I'm gonna go get him set up in my room!" Beast Boy said happily.

"Wonderful," Raven muttered, picking up her book and picking up where she had left off earlier.

Just as Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg ran out of the room to get the dog settled in, Robin stepped over to Raven.

Not bothering to look up from her book, she said irritably, "If I told you I was allergic to dogs, would you make it go away?"

Robin blinked stupidly. "_Are _you allergic to dogs?"

"Probably not."

"Then no, I wouldn't," Robin said with a sigh. "Why not give it a chance? You may find that you like the dog."

"And you may find that you're gay. Some things just don't happen; me liking dogs is one of them." She shut her book and stood. Ignoring Robin's confused stare, she walked briskly down the hallway and to the staircase that led to her room. She glided in and shut the door behind her. Setting her book on the bedside table, she decided now was as good a time as any to meditate.

"Azerath, Metrion, Zynthos. Azerath, Metrion, Zyth-"

_Knock- knock- knock._

Raven sighed.

"Um, Raven? It's Beast Boy. You uh, seemed a little…_disappointed_ about me keeping Bounce, and well…"

"What?"

"I um…"

"You…?"

"Brought him to your room so the two of you could get acquainted," Beast Boy said proudly. He figured that all it took for Raven to fall for the dog was to get to know him, which Beast Boy decided was the way he could get her to fall for him and all of his Beast Boy-ish charm. Really, Bounce was acting as a guinea pig; Beast Boy wanted to see the plan in action before he himself attempted it.

How'd Raven know all this? Easy. She read his thoughts.

Quickly recovering from the slight shock of Beast Boy wanting her to like him, Raven said bluntly, "No."

"No? But, Raven! You're supposed to _love _dogs! Everybody does!"

"Since when have I been 'everybody'? And besides, I'm allergic."

"Really?"

"No, but I wish I was."

"Oh, c'mon, Rae! Just pet the puppy!" Beast Boy pleaded.

"No."

"Fine." Beast Boy sighed with defeat. Raven could be impossible at times, she really could. _But I find stubbornness attractive in a woman, _Beast Boy thought to himself with a smile as he walked down the hallway. _And when she finally realizes how good looking and funny I truly am-_

Raven had to stop listening to Beast Boy's thoughts- she was overwhelmed with what she had just heard. She sighed. _But…do I feel the same way?_

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**k, chappie 2. there it is. In all its glory.**

**I think I'll reply to my reviews! **

**(I love doin dis)**

**Blaze: grabs candy bar from your hand and shoves it in mouth mmm…yesh, well…thish will definitely help, I think…swallows okaythanksforthereveiwBYE!**

**Kmutt: Hey! I remember you from my last story! Yay! Thank you SO much for your review. I hear by give you "The Most Loyal Reviewer Award." –Audience claps-**

**Shoomy2003: Thanks for reviewing, keep it up! (Nice name, by the way)**

**I LOVE REVIEWS! **

**Trust me, I'll add fluff in the next chapter. no fluff is so BORING.**

**Wubb,**

**jack**


	3. Dahjo Demon

**Yeah, sorry I took so long with this chappie.**

**I had about en reports due for school and…..yeah.**

**Raven: -ahem- **

**Beast Boy: ON WITH THE CHAPTER!**

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"Get that damn dog outta my face."

"C'mon, Rae! You know you _love _him!"

"No, I'm serious. Get the damn dog out-of-my-face."

"Aw, look! He's licking you!"

Robin was getting a little bit afraid of what might happen to Beast Boy if he made Raven angry enough, and that usually didn't take too long. "Uh, Beast Boy? Why don't you just take the dog-?"

Too late. Raven had Beast Boy surrounded in her black aura and pinned up against the wall- very _high _up against the wall. Bounce, who had been in Beast Boy's arms, fell onto the ground with a small thud.

Raven began cursing Beast Boy with the most colorful language she knew, when Bounce came trotting over to her. He sat at her feet and looked up at her with oddly intelligent eyes. He quickly flashed his razor sharp teeth at her in an almost-smile, and yipped at her.

Raven, having totally lost all concentration in her powers, stared at the dog.

"RAVEN!"

Raven jerked her head around to see Beast Boy making a quick decent to the floor from where he had been suspended only a second ago.

She quickly surrounded him in her aura once more, and lowered him slowly to the ground.

"Beast Boy," Raven said in a low, dangerous whisper, "That dog is possessed. It _smiled _at me."

Beast Boy was quiet for a second, before he burst out laughing. Cyborg, who had been standing well away from the fight with Robin a Starfire, joined in. Raven scowled. She glanced at the dog. He flashed her another toothy smile, then trotted away toward Beast Boy's room.

Raven sighed; her eyes flicked up to the digital clock on the wall and froze. 11:32 PM.

"I'm going to bed," she said quietly to her team as she drew her hood up and floated out of the room.

"G'NIGHT, RAE!" Beast Boy yelled after her, still laughing.

"I swear to god, that boy's on something," she mumbled to herself with a wry smile.

Bounce, who had seen her walk by Beast Boy's room through the open door, jogged after her, panting.

"Get lost," Raven said coldly.

Bounce, as though he understood, plopped onto the ground and yipped at her.

"What?" She demanded. "Quit looking at me like that."

And, much to Raven's clear displeasure, the dog visibly shook his head.

She had to stuff her fist into her mouth to stop from screaming.

"You…understood…me?" She said quietly.

Bounce cocked his head for a moment, as if comprehending what she was saying to him, and then gave her a nod.

Raven's jaw dropped, something it did not do often. This dog- this _animal_- could understand every word she was saying, and for her, that was a very uncomfortable thought.

"Wait- you- you can understand-" Raven simply could not believe it.

The dog stood and sauntered over to her. He almost seemed to be grinning as he put his fore paws on Raven's knees (it was as high as he could reach) and looked up into her eyes.

Suddenly everything in Raven's mind clicked.

"You aren't a dog…are you?" She asked slowly.

Bounce dropped back down to all fours and shook his head again.

He looked into her eyes once more. _Do I look like a dog to you? _

Raven blinked stupidly for a moment. Had that dog just talked to her…mentally?

She focused on Bounce, and told him: _You look like a dog to me._

He stopped panting and sat, still looking at her with those deep, grey eyes. _Can dogs communicate with humans like this? Hmm?_

Raven thought for a second. _No…_

_Ah, so we've decided I am not a dog. What on earth am I then?_

Raven pieced the puzzle together in her mind and gasped when she realized- _You're a Dahjo demon!_

_Very good, dear. _The dog wagged his tail slightly.

_But you can't be…_

_Ah, but I am, aren't I?_

_But they went extinct ages ago….they died out, disappeared…_

_That's true, _Bounce commented, _But here I am._

Raven paused. _What's your real name?_

_Sabiethe. It means 'Miraculous One' on Azarath._

Raven looked at the 'dog'. She racked her brain for any information she might remember about Dahjo demons. They were able to take on any form, and had demonic powers much like Raven's. She'd have to read more about them later. Quietly she thought-asked him, _Do you meditate?_

_Only for pleasure. I don't need to._

_Will you meditate with me some time, Sabiethe? _She wondered if, by meditating with him, she could search the demon's mind for an idea of how powerful he was.

_Yes, _the 'dog' answered, getting up. _But you'd best call me by that ridiculous name given to me by the Green One…what was it again?_

_Bounce, _Raven informed him, a small smile forming on her lips.

_Right, right, of course. Don't call me by my full name around the rest. Booounnce is fine. _He struggled slightly to pronounce the name correctly, making Raven have to stifle a chuckle.

"BOUNCE! HERE BOY!" Beast Boy's voice and about a dozen whistles filled the air. And, without another thought, Bounce swiveled around and galloped down the hallway.

Raven, sighing thoughtfully, opened the door to her room with her powers, mentally preparing herself for a night of searching all of the books in her room for anything and everything on Dahjo demons.

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**Starfire: Why was I not in this, as you say, "chappie", friend Jack?**

**Uh….cause I didn't want you in it, I guess…**

**Cyborg: And all I did was stand and laugh! I didn't get to say one thing!**

**Beast Boy: Yeah! This chapter was all about Raven!**

**Raven: And the damn dog.**

**Bounce: _Will you PLEASE stop calling me that?_**

**Raven: …No.**

**Oh, and I still don't own anything.**

**Beast Boy: Hey, I'm supposed to do the disclaimer!**

**Riiiiight.**

**Anyway, I apologize for how terribly short this chapter was.**

**Please review,**

**Jack**


	4. Rooftop

**o.o**

**WHOA it's been forever since I've updated this. Like….whoa.**

**Dude…I'm gonna cut the intro short. I GOTTA GET STARTED!  
-panicks-**

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"Forty-seven, fifty…twoo, sixty foooouuuurr-" Beast Boy yawned. He'd been counting sheep for hours. Or had it been days? He was so tired at this point he didn't even remember what a real sheep looked like, let alone how long he'd been counting them. There was only one thing (person) on his mind- and she was the reason he hadn't really slept in over a month. She meant the world to him. _WHY WON'T SHE GO OUT WITH ME? _he thought angrily. But the anger was only momentary, and he was quickly washed over with a feeling of intense depression. He sighed and turned over onto his back.

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Raven gazed over her book shelves, plucking out the books she wanted:  
_A-Z Demons  
The Beginner's Guide to Knowing and Recognizing Demons  
Demons for Dummies  
Demons- Friend or Foe?  
Dictionary to Backyard Demons_

And so on.

She surrounded each book in her regular black aura, sending each one, in turn, flying onto her bed. When she decided her shelves were stripped of all demon books, she cleared a spot for her to sit on her bed and opened the first book, _A-Z Demons. _Flipping to the "D" section, she fingered through the pages. "Dabmet, Daccth, Dahfno….Dahjo!" Raven frowned slightly as she read the passage.

_Dahjo demons, known on most planets other than Azarath as "Kimpho Demons," have the power to change their form, but their true form is usually that of an Earth animal. They have the power to possess people, read their thoughts, and even use their powers. These demons should be approached and dealt with carefully. Thankfully, though, they were over-hunted for their leather-like skin, and went extinct ages ago._

Raven marked the page and moved on to the next book.

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Raven glanced at the clock. She had been reading for over four hours. It was already 6:15 AM. She had a feeling Robin may wake up soon, but the other three would be awhile.

Rising stiffly to her feet, she strode over to the table she had tossed her cloak on, and sauntered out of her room to the kitchen. When she got there, she wasn't surprised to see Bounce sitting on the floor by the fridge.

He whined at her. _Help me._

She raised an eyebrow.

_It won't open. _He gestured to the fridge door with his nose.

_So? What do you want me to do about it?_

_Open it…please._

_Fine, but don't get used to it. What do you want?_

_Meat._

Raven swung the door open (purposely not warning Bounce before hand, and smacking his curved nosewith the door), pulled the smallest bit of meat out and dropped it in front of the dog.

_Great, thanks. _He flashed her a toothy grin and, picking up his snack in his mouth, headed back to Beast Boy's room.

Raven shook her head. She still didn't trust that thing.

She let out a long sigh as she put the water for her usual tea on the stove to boil.

When her tea was all set, she took it with her in its usual cup to the same place she went every so often to sort out thoughts- the roof. She stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the roof. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as she waited for the elevator to stop. When it finally did, the doors swung open to reveal the rooftop- and….a person?

Without turning around, the person said, "Hey Rae."  
Without thinking, Raven lost controll of her powers for a moment and her teacup shattered in her palms. Wincing as the glass left cuts on her hands, she stepped out of the elevator and waiting until its doors slid shut before muttering, "Beast…Boy..?"

He turned to look at her. Even in the dim morning light, Raven could tell Beast Boy had lost sleep. There were dark circles forming under his no-longer-bright eyes. He was standing by the edge with his arms behind his back. She walked next to him. "Hey BB…you okay?"

He grinned sleepily at her. "I am now."  
She blushed. Beast Boy snuck his arm around Raven's waist. Raven heard something shatter somewhere in the tower, but didn't care.Slightly tired herself, she leaned into Beast Boy's strong grasp and rested her head on his shoulder. After a bit, Raven straightened up again and turnedaway from the suniseto look at Beast Boy. Beast Boy turned to face her as well. Their lips were so close...just one more inch and..

_BARK BARK BARK!_

Raven sqiveled around to glare at the animal that she loathed now more than ever, only to see Robin standing behind him.

Robin grinned sheepishly. "Uh...I was hoping to talk to Beast Boy, but I can see that you're-"

Raven glared at Beast Boy. It was HIS fault the dog was there! "Actually, Robin, I was just leaving."  
And with that she strode across the rooftop, tears of mixed emotions already stinging her eyes.

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**Guess who's back.  
Back again.**

**Jack is back.**

**Tell a friend.  
WOOHOO!  
Drop a review and I'll add another chapter.  
No more dropping off the face of the earth for me!**


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